Battle of Wells
by ms17thst
Summary: What happens when someone brings the 'other' HG Wells to the Warehouse? Will Helena welcome Charles or will it be a case of epic sibling rivalry? Fluff ... light...
1. Driving Them Crazy

After the last story (Experiments) just wanted to do something 'light'. It's short, it's light, lots of dialogue, less plot but hoping you enjoy it anyway.

* * *

**Chapter 1 Driving Them Crazy**

Of all the things Helena had become acclimated to in her time at the Warehouse, driving still presented the biggest issue for her. She declared that she already knew how to drive, and that the skill was like riding a bike; one never forgets. It was that self-confidence that refused to allow HG to admit a little brushing up might have helped.

"Not sure if you got the memo, HG, but cars have changed a bit over the years," Pete said in his worst British accent. He was trying to be funny, but Helena found his comment and his imitation insulting.

"Pete darling, we agreed. You're never to attempt sounding British and I hold all my questions about football until the inning is played."

"Quarter, not inning. I'm just saying that for someone who _supposedly _has a grip on how machines work, you might want to take it slower on the road, that's all," Pete said and the only reason he did was because it was making Myka nervous.

"I'm sorry, did you say _supposedly_, Agent Lattimer," HG asked, narrowing her eyes on him.

"No, no I said….. _copiously._ Yes, copiously have a grip …an abundant grip on how…. I gotta go," Pete stammered. He hurried into the hallway to escape any harm. "Sorry, Mykes, I gave it my best shot," he apologized to his partner.

"Thanks, Pete. It's her third speeding ticket, and I know they're going to make her go to one of those mandatory driving classes," Myka said.

"Good, then let them deal with her," Pete said.

"Pete, remember the last time she took a class offered to the general public?" Myka said jogging his memory.

"Oh yeah, the cooking class with Leena. They asked her to leave and promised Leena her money back if she would never return because HG insisted on giving everyone a lesson in ….what was it?" Pete asked.

"Trophology – the science of food combining," Myka said shaking her head.

"Oh yeah …she told them toxic wastes _bleed_ into the blood stream if they combine meat and potatoes cause the meat petrifies…,"

"Putrefies," Myka corrected him.

"Whatever. It made people sick to hear it and the teacher threw her out," Pete laughed all over again.

"So can you imagine her in a class about driving?" Myka said thinking of all the possible outcomes, none of them good.

"OK well maybe Artie can pull a few strings….?" Pete said thinking maybe even Artie would understand the issue with allowing HG to go public.

"I didn't want to tell him but I guess I'll have to," Myka said.

"Have to what, darling?" Helena said walking into the hallway and startling her friends.

"Have to….tell…..Artie….," Myka stammered and Pete froze. If Myka couldn't get the words out things were bad.

"Have to….tell…..Artie….," Pete repeated hoping the next word would come to Myka's mind.

"Tell Artie what?" Artie said as he closed the front door.

"Ah…. tell you….," Pete said because he was closest. "That Myka has something to tell you…." He panicked and all eyes turned to Myka.

"What is going on? Tell me what?" Artie asked in no mood for their usual antics.

"Tell you that HG got her third speeding ticket and will have to take that mandatory class unless you do something like call the President and get her a pardon," Claudia summed it all up. She drew the stares of her fellow agents. "What? That's it, isn't it?" she asked defensively.

"You were going to tell Artie?" HG asked Myka who turned to Pete and asked; "Do you ever shut up?" Pete in turn looked at Artie but pulled back in fright.

"Well, I'm not taking the bloody class anyway," HG announced.

"Three tickets? Really Agent Wells?" Artie said.

"It was ridiculous really, I was only going thirty in a twenty five," HG said and Artie looked over at Pete who held up five fingers. He remembered because he was in the car when she took the turn and passed the cop car right by. He begged the cop to take him home in the police car but he refused.

"So I don't think that one should count," HG said.

"I don't think they let you drop one like your grades, HG," Artie said. "What do I have to do with this?" Artie asked almost afraid of the answer.

"Well I thought maybe you could ask someone if we could teach HG the content of the course ….instead of having her traipse all the way into the motor vehicle department," Myka suggested gently.

"Darling, I never _traipse_," HG said as if that were the point.

"_Rememberthecookingclass_," Pete said while coughing in hopes of disguising his thought. Artie caught it.

"Ooohhhh, yes. The class that they offer to the general public, got it. I'll call the governor and see if we can make an exception for Agent Wells because why should the ordinary rules apply to her? I'll just tell the DMV, sorry but Agent Wells does not play nice with people so if it's all the same to you, we'll just home school her in the simple art of not killing someone on the road," Artie ranted as he went into the dining room.

"I think you shoulda waited until he had something to eat, Mykes." Pete said. Myka went to punch him but he was too quick and moved. Living with all those women was finally paying off.

"I don't see what the fuss is all about really, Myka," HG said, and Myka smiled because Helena never did.

* * *

Claudia was upstairs doing what she does best – digging deep for details in places where most people would fear to tread. It took her only a few minutes of searching to come up with something she thought would really interest Myka. When the agents dispersed to their rooms, she called Myka in.

"I think we have a little problem, Myka," Claudia said in a hushed whisper. "Read this," she said shoving Myka down in front of her laptop.

"London, 1892 – the Premier of Oscar Wilde's 'Lady Windermere's Fan' - was the headline of the London paper.

"You want me to read the review of Oscar Wilde's play?" Myka asked confused.

"Shush Myka! Read what's _below_ the review," Claudia said looking around to make sure they were alone. Myka scrolled down the page.

_Accident Outside the St. James Theatre Almost Postpones Wilde's Opening _- _A driver was apprehended outside the St. James Theatre last night right before the opening of Oscar Wilde's play. The motorist, a Miss Helena Wells of London, was rushing to the play and drove the wrong way on the main thoroughfare outside the theatre_.

"Oh brother," Myka moaned.

"Keep reading," Claudia said.

_Several pedestrians suffered minor injuries when the driver of the Peugeot model car careened through the crowd. Witnesses said that Miss Wells was driving erratically and at a top speed of 18 kilometers_.

"She was going ..what? Eleven miles per hour?" Myka asked out loud doing the conversion in her head.

_When asked what happened, Miss Wells responded that she was late to the theatre. Her brother Charles said the car belonged to family friend visiting from France. The car suffered some damage which Mr. Wells said his sister would be paying. When asked how long his sister had been driving, Mr. Wells said that this had been her maiden voyage and her last. _

Myka dropped her head into her hands. "So HG was never a good driver and she's got a much longer _never _than any of us," Claudia whispered.

There was a light knock on the door and Claudia pushed past Myka to close the windows and the laptop.  
"Just a minute," she yelled and then took a deep breath and opened the door. Helena looked at Claudia and then at Myka. "Everything ok in here?" the Brit asked suspiciously.

"In here? Pffft. Sure of course. Why wouldn't it be okay, right Myka? Everything is ok with me. Everything ok with you, Myka?" Claudia rambled. Nothing confirmed HG's suspicion more than verbal gaffs. She eyed Claudia up and down once and that was all it took for the young woman to jump ship.

"It would seem your fellow agent has left you alone to answer my questions," HG teased Myka. She came up behind her and enveloped her in her harms and put her mouth to her ear. "And we have ways of making you talk, Agent Bering. Resistance will be futile."

"Have you been watching Star Trek with Pete again?" Myka laughed.

"Yes, I have and they have the most interesting character who is part human and part machine called _79_," HG said. Myka smiled and thought _one thing at a time_.

"You know how I like making you talk, Agent Bering," HG said reminding Myka how easily she gave in to her.

"I thought you said last night I was talking too much," Myka said trying to get out of the chair but HG was not letting her go.

"Hmmm you're right. Let's change that to – you know how much I love making you scream," the unfazed Brit said in her ear.

HG was quite confident that she would know later that night what Myka was up to. HG knew it. Myka knew it.

And by the stroke of midnight, anyone awake in the house would know it.

* * *

If you've made it this far, thank you for sticking it out. :-)


	2. Thrown for a Curve

** Chapter Two Thrown for a Curve**

"Suspend my license?" HG asked in disbelief. "For what reason?" she asked her fellow agents at breakfast the next day. The notice had been delivered to the B&B on behalf of the local police.

"Making the streets safe, maybe?" Pete said and Myka elbowed him.

"I just think it's because … you know… you need to take the curves a little slower…and slow down…," Myka tried to put it gently.

"Slowing down is not what you wanted of me last night," HG whispered in Myka's ear but everyone knew she said something because of the blush on Myka's face.

"OK, ok you two," Pete yelled and embarrassed Myka even more.

"Deal with it, Lattimer," Myka said uncharacteristically.

The bantering was cut short when Artie appeared for the morning meeting. He was even more ornery than usual.

"We have a problem, people and we have to deal with it right away," he said, slamming his bag down on the table and rattling the plates. HG grabbed her tea cup just in time so as not to spill any of the heavenly beverage. She made it a rule never to deal with her boss unless she had a cup of tea in her hand at breakfast meetings.

"What's up A-Man," Pete asked and Artie looked at him severely.

"We were just notified of a massive recall of the mason jars we used to house some of the artifacts," their boss said shuffling papers and looking for the notice. He pushed papers all over the table in front of him until he dug out the one he wanted. "Here it is."

"According to this, the recall is for the jars and containers we've been using since last November. They were made in China and it was just discovered they contain tiny cracks which under pressure or even over time, can cause the damn things to break," Artie explained.

"How are we going to know which artifacts were stored in them?" Myka asked.

"That's the problem. We're going to have to go through the lists of artifacts since November and figure out which ones were used," Artie explained over the groans of the agents.

"I know, I know. Inventory is bad but inventory of inventory is worse," Artie said. "Claud, can you get working on lists for everyone so that we can check what we've stored in them? The sooner we start, the sooner we're done."

"Really? That's the best you got?" Pete asked.

"Hey, on the bright side, we know it will only be small artifacts," Artie said trying to look on the bright side.

The agents went to the Warehouse and took their lists. Helena was annoyed because it was supposed to be her turn to drive to work but Pete reminded her, none to subtlety that she could not drive with a suspended license. This was a combination of things that HG detested; Pete pointing out her error, Pete keeping her from doing what she wanted and the _coup de grace_, Myka not sticking up for her because she agreed with him. Pete knew he hit a raw nerve with HG because she called _him Mr. Lattimer_ and the only time she did that was when she was pissed or being incredibly smug.

"Hey, I'm just pointing out that you can't drive until you get your license back …_and with any luck, that will be in a year_," he said and tried to whisper the last part but everyone heard him. HG glared at him. And as if HG's day wasn't bad enough, her list took her to the far end of the Warehouse away from Myka who was close to where Pete was working.

* * *

They had to use the ladders to go up and down to check the shelves for the bottled artifacts. "Why did Artie use glass containers anyway?" Myka called out when she was atop the ladder in her aisle.

"Shine your light on that shelf," Pete called out and Myka did. Sure enough, the glass reflected the light and shone in the dark. "Ohhhhhh," Myka said. Each item had to be put in the new container, an eco- friendlier green version of biodegradable recycled plastics made especially for the Warehouse in the USA.

One by one, the artifacts were taken out of the glass jars and placed into the new containers. Then they had to be checked off and the glass container had to be put back into boxes for the recall. It was mindless, labor intensive work – just the kind that distracted Pete to no end. He sang out loud until Myka complained. Then he juggled the artifacts in the new containers to make sure they were 'spill proof' – and thankfully, they were. He was on his umpteenth trip up the ladder when he could see Myka right across from him. He had left his purple gloves at the bottom and didn't want to make yet another trip down. '_Open one container, pour it into the other. How simple is that_?' is what he was thinking when Myka heard music coming from the container he had.

"Is that from _Pinocchio_?" she asked when she heard it.

"Lemme look," he said as he turned to tag around. "It's Leigh Harline's music box? Mean anything to you?" he said dropping the tag to the floor and waited for Myka to lecture him. He took the music box out and twisted the knob_. When You Wish Upon a Star_ started to play.

"Oh Pete, I love that song. Harline was the composer of that music," Myka squealed with delight much to Pete's chagrin. Why did he get the girlie artifacts? He looked over at Myka.

"What is that?" he asked. "Lemme see it ."

Myka handed over the glass jar with a silver star in it. "John Wayne's badge from the movie - _Rooster Cogburn_," she read out loud. "Wearing it makes your really crabby," she read.

"No way! The Duke was terrific in those movies," he said doing his best Wayne imitation. "He played a really cool marshal. Remember the one with him and Katherine Hepburn? Pete put one hand over his eye to imitate the eye patch from the movie and in his Duke voice said: "_Ma'am, I don't know much about thoroughbreds - horses or women! Them that I did know, I never liked. They're too nervous and spooky; they scare me. But you're one high-bred filly that don't. 'Course, I don't know what you're talking about half the time."_

Myka laughed that he even knew a line that wasn't from the Rocky movies. "Reminds me of HG," he said as he looked at the star.

"The high-bred part?" Myka asked looking at her list.

"No, the '_I don't understand what you're talking about half the time' part_," Pete said truthfully and Myka smiled.

"You know, I wish we could meet her brother," Pete said.

"Charles? Why?" Myka asked.

"Cause he knew what she was like back then and I'm betting it wasn't a whole lot different than she is now. But maybe he could tell us how the heck they dealt with her," Pete said handing back the jar.

"I know how to deal with her just fine," Myka smiled thinking back to last night and how she got Helena to stop teasing her. "Just fine," she said lost in her own thoughts.

"Alright Bering, enough," he said finally getting her drift. Pete finished his artifacts and joined the rest of them on the Warehouse floor.

* * *

"You guys can go on, I just want to total up these boxes," Artie was saying but they were out before he got to the second part. They were tired and done for the day.

Artie closed his eyes until he heard the umbilicus door slam and the noise go with them. There was an absolute quietness that their absence brought that he savored. He turned to finish up his work. He looked at the stack of cartons with the glass jars.

"Twelve cartons of sixteen jars each is…. ," Artie said out loud as he completed the paperwork to return them.

"One hundred and ninety two," came the answer from behind him. Artie was about to say _I know_ when he realized it was not a voice he knew. He spun around quickly to face the mustached gentlemen, dressed in a suit and tie.

"OK, yeah thanks," Artie said as he tried to figure out what was near him. He had no tesla and no phone on him. In fact, all he had was glass jars.

"Not at all," the man said back to Artie, smiling and appearing to be of no threat. "Now if you would be so kind as to tell me where I am?" he asked.

Artie looked at him. He looked very familiar but he couldn't place him. "South Dakota?" Artie asked more than answered.

"America? Blimey, that woman knows no bounds to messing with the universe I fear," he said as Artie moved back a little.

"That woman?" Artie said and now the man followed him.

"I do beg your pardon, sir. Where are my manners? My name is Wells, HG Wells," the man asked extending his hand. Artie realized why he looked so familiar to him.

"And you are?" the visitor asked.

"Absolutely livid," Artie said in response.


	3. When You Wish Upon a Star

Thanks to you all for forgiving the fluff ... and reading along.

* * *

**Chapter Three When You Wish Upon A Star**

"How did you get here?" Artie asked the guest.

"I have no idea," Charles answered truthfully.

Artie stared at the man as questions raced through his head. "Where did you come from?" Artie asked looking around the Warehouse.

"England. London to be specific," he answered amicably.

"You don't seem to be surprised that you're in here, in America," Artie said.

"Well sir, I have a sister who likes to play with things," Helena's brother answered.

"Aha, yes I know that," Artie said.

"You know Helena? Can you take me to her?" Charles asked.

"Oh I can't wait," Artie answered. "Right this way," he said as he led the gentleman up the stairs.

"What sort of place am I in? It looks like an enormous warehouse of some sort?" Charles asked.

"Yeah kind of," Artie said as he took his new found friend to the office. He wasn't sure if Charles had any idea what year he was in and feared what that shock might do to him. He didn't want to pull out the Farnsworth or cell phone and thought it better to just take him out the umbilicus to the car and start explaining things there.

"So you're Helena's brother, the author?" Artie asked as they walked. Charles was busy looking at the lighting in the exit way.

"Yes, that's right," he said.

"And is HG your real name?" Artie asked wondering what he would answer.

"Charles is my real name. You may call me Charles if you like. I didn't get your name," the man said.

"I am Artie Nielsen. Now Charles, there's something you should know," Artie said as he stopped before stepping out into the South Dakota night. "I think your sister may have brought you forward in time," Artie smiled apologetically.

"Oh Helena!" he said as if were exasperated. "She just won't listen! I told her to be careful. Have you found her to be incorrigible as well?"

"Incorrigible? Have I found her ….?" Artie almost giggled.

"Charles, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," he said as he opened the door.

* * *

The passenger shared that the last thing he remembered was being in his library at home in London while his sister was downstairs in the basement working on her experiments. He assumed when he found himself in the Warehouse that her testing with time and space travel might have actually worked this time.

"I really don't understand half of what she says but her ideas do make for good stories," Charles confessed. "Like her idea for a time machine. You don't think she got it to work, did she?"

"I'm not exactly how she did it," Artie admitted, since he knew the Time Machine could not actually transport people. "She's actually forbidden to use it without authorization," Artie said.

"Helena forbidden? Why sir, you might as well forbid the sun not to rise tomorrow," Charles laughed.

"I'm working on it," Artie said.

* * *

"Well, what sort of class is it that I shall have to take?" Helena was asking the group gathered at the table before dinner.

"One with other mere mortals, HG. Oh the horror," Pete mocked.

"I think you can probably take it online, Helena," Myka said.

"You know, HG this website says you don't get points in South Dakota for speeding," Claudia said poking her head up over the screen.

"No matter. They have deemed me incapable of driving so I shall….," HG was saying and raised the suspicion of all her fellow agents.

"_No matter_? Really HG?" Claudia said.

"Let's take a look-see at that letter," Pete said grabbing it from the table. Helena attempted to grab it back but was too slow. "Mr. Lattimer, I believe it is a federal offense to tamper with one's mail," she tried but Pete was already reading it.

"Uh oh – Agent Wells has a total of fifteen points on her license. Rounding the top three are '_Driving on the wrong side of the road for four points_'. Oh we could have seen that coming, eh Mykes?" Pete said moving down one side of the table as HG tried to get closer.

"Well, I told the policeman they should absolutely forgive that one because I'm from England where we drive on the proper side of the road," HG said defensively.

"Didn't you flash your badge, HG? Isn't that supposed to get you off with a warning," Claudia asked.

"Well, yes … it has actually," HG said thinking back to the first few times she was stopped. Finally, it stopped working with the Univille police force.

"Coming in at the number two spot, and my personal favorite, '_drag racing for six points_," Pete laughed.

"Helena! Drag racing?" Myka asked in disbelief. Surely that one was a mistake.

"Well, it wasn't actually drag racing. I had just adjusted the injection system in the Prius in hopes of getting it to go over 45 miles per hour when the damn thing took off like a bat out of Hades," HG said nervously. "They said it was drag racing because the youth filled car next to me thought I was racing them and foolishly tried to beat me."

"And coming in at the number one spot with a full eight – ouch – points; '_reckless driving'_ – double ouch," Pete said with mock sympathy.

"Helena?" Myka said more out of concern that HG's driving warranted such a ticket.

"It was nothing really, darling. There was construction on the road and it was at night and no one was around and I wanted to get home so I took a short cut….," HG described her decision to ignore the 'road closed' signs because it meant she would have been late for dinner with Myka.

"Shush," Claudia said when she heard Artie come through the front door. Instead of his usual scowl that he wore before dinner, he was all smiles.

"Everything okay, Artie?" Myka asked because the expression was so rare on him.

"You look like the cat that swallowed the bird. You know, I never got that expression," Pete said now off on a tangent. "For one thing, cats probably look like this when they swallow a whole bird," he said pulling his lips back and making a strained face. "You …don't … look like that," Pete said getting back on track. He folded up the paper and slipped it into his back pocket.

"Agent Wells, when you were in the Warehouse today, were you playing around with any of the artifacts?" Artie asked with a lilt in his voice.

"I beg your pardon?" HG said, indignant at the very thought.

"What was it this time? The Time Machine is locked up so how'd you do it?" Artie asked.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Helena said confused.

"Artie?" Myka asked because he wasn't making any sense.

"I found something in the Warehouse that I'm pretty sure belongs to you and I'm thinking you did something to get it there," Artie said cryptically.

Myka knew if HG was guilty of whatever he was accusing her of, she'd have a different look on her face. Right now Myka was reading sincere confusion mixed with a dab of '_Artie, you're insane_' sentiment. Artie was going into the hallway to retrieve whatever it was. The agents all looked at each other.

"Agent Wells, may I present HG Wells," Artie said as he stepped out of the way and allowed Charles to enter.

"Helena?" Charles said surprised by how different his sister looked. "What have you done?"

The entire room fell silent and they all stared at the guest expecting it to be a joke.

Helena was not one for false sentiment and so she said what she was thinking; "What the bloody hell are you doing here, Charles?" Charles was gazing around now, taking in the room and the people. There wasn't one thing familiar to him except his sister.

"Helena, your language, especially in the presence of so beautiful a woman," Charles was saying as he saw Myka. "Madam, please excuse my sister's vulgar talk. My name is HG Wells," he said and took the hand of a stunned Myka and kissed it.

Helena was beside him in an instant and pulled his arm off of Myka's. "Do not touch her," she snarled.

"Holy frackin' War of the Worlds," Claudia let out.

"HG Wells… is here? I'm going to need a minute to process this," Myka said.

"HG Wells is most certainly here!" Helena snapped. "But what the bloody hell is Charles doing here?"

"Helena, truly your language. We've spoken to you about it many times. Women who use course language will never find the right suitor," Charles said in a low voice.

"Oh my God. Someone corrected HG and isn't dead. Well, technically he's dead but you know what I mean," Claudia said to Pete. "I got HG," she called.

"No way, I'm not taking him," Pete said and now the two of them argued over the bet. "She'll chew him up and spit him out."

"Charles, I am not sure how you got here but you must go back now," HG said getting overwhelmed by the fact standing in front of her.

"But Helena, you got me here," her sibling stated.

"So how'd you do it, HG?" Artie wondered.

"Artie, I am telling you, I did nothing to bring my brother here!" HG yelled.

"Helena! Do not speak to your elders like that. What has happened to you?" Charles huffed but his attention was drawn back to Myka. "And may I say madam, you look absolutely ravishing as you ...what did you called it…. process?" he said.

Myka stared intently at him which he mistook for mutual interest. _Where was the resemblance_, she wondered. He hardly looked like Helena but there was something around the eyes maybe. Myka leaned in and look at him. Then she looked over at HG to compare but hers were wide with fury now.

"I will not tell you again….," HG said to her sibling in a more menacing tone. It was lost on him as he stared into the green eyes of the woman who had captivated him instantly.

"Well, why am I not surprised that having one more Wells in the house has not made life any easier?" Artie said.

"Put him back!" HG said to Artie, her hands placed squarely on her hips.

"Put him back? Where?" Artie asked. "The Warehouse? London? 189….?" he said looking at Charles to supply the information.

"1894," Charles smiled as if he were giving an address and not a time period.

"You got him here, you put him back," Artie declared.

"Artie, I promise you, I did not bring Charles here," HG said earnestly.

"Then how did he get here?" Artie retorted. HG looked so sincere that Artie started to look around the room. If there was an artifact at play here, there was only one other player.

"Pete?" he said. "Did you play with an artifact today?"

"No way. I was right there with Myka. Did my whole list, right Mykes?" he asked his partner for affirmation but could tell Myka was deep in thought and it wasn't good.

"Myka?" Artie said, waiting for an explanation of that look.

"Artie, I asked Pete to play the music box he had and he asked me for a movie prop of John Wayne's," Myka said thinking back. She remembered the music playing and Pete holding the jar with the star in it – with no gloves.

"Pete, that…that song - _When You Wish Upon a Star - _was playing and you had the marshal's badge – in the shape of a star," Myka said putting it together.

"And you made a wish?" Artie yelled. "For HG Wells?"

"I beg your pardon! If he had wished for HG Wells, then I would have appeared," Helena corrected him.

"Then how did _he _get here?" Artie asked.

All eyes turned to Pete who was really trying to remember how this happened.

"Oh," he finally said. "I think I wished for HG's brother."

All eyes turned to Pete. "What? Wait a minute. It's not like I wish you were …. Ok, never mind," he said rethinking his next words to Myka.


	4. Quoting Shakespeare

** Thank you to britpup for suggesting HG's pet name in this chapter.  
And thank you for your comments and suggestions. Love them - keep them coming if you can.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Four Quoting Shakespeare**

"What have I told you about the dangerous effects of combining artifacts?" Artie yelled because this complicated things.

"Yeah but …it was … music… and then the star….. and," Pete said trying to figure out how it happened.

"You got a wish and you wished for HG's brother?" Claudia said under her breath to him.

"Well, I didn't know I was getting a wish or I would have wished for something …," Pete said defensively.

"Not the point!" Artie yelled. "We have to figure out how to undo this. In the meantime, Agent Wells you will have to ….. watch your brother."

"The bloody hell I will," HG protested and both men yelled back at her.

"Now Poppet, please control your temper," Charles implored.

You could have heard a pin drop. The agents all looked at him to see if they heard what they heard and then they looked at HG. She looked as if she had been struck.

"_Poppet_? Did he just call you _Poppet_?" Pete asked, astonished. Myka bit her lower lip – hard. She thought it was adorable but she knew her feeling would not be shared.

"Charles!" HG yelled, embarrassed that her childhood name was announced.

"_Poppet_? That's your nickname? Not _Princess Ego_ or _Lady Einstein_ but _Poppet_?" Pete asked - again.

"Lady who?" Charles asked unfamiliar with the name but Pete just kept talking.

"I would have thought _love_ or _Duchess of Yackity Yack_," Pete added, finding himself amusing.

"Oh…. I get it….oh yes, I dare say, very funny by George," Charles finally said and decided he liked this very odd man in his presence.

Myka could see how uncomfortable this was making Helena and she knew it was only going to become worse. "Sweetie?" she said taking Helena by the arm and walking her out to the kitchen. She had to literally pull Helena who wanted to say something, anything to erase the last few minutes from her friends' memories.

* * *

"Helena?" Myka said forcing HG to sit on the kitchen stool. "Helena, we've got a problem here – Charles, your brother Charles is here in 2012 and we don't know yet how we're going to get him back." Myka said pointing out the real issue.

It was another demonstration of the only thing that could rein Helena in – Myka. She took a deep breath and listened because, of course Myka was right. Myka pushed the hair off of HG's face and ran her fingers down her cheek to calm her. "And Helena, do you really think for a minute, you have to worry about Charles' flirting?" Myka smiled.

"Certainly not! He surpasses me at nothing. Not….not science, not math, God Lord not bloody writing and not charisma!" HG said summing up her rivalry and missing Myka's point.

Myka could have been insulted that Helena made this into a sibling competition leaving her own feelings out of the equation but she could see how HG was dealing with the sudden appearance of her brother. She knew all too well how a sane, rational person could be reduced to an immature babbling idiot when in the presence of a sibling. It happened to Myka almost every Christmas. As hard as Myka tried to remain calm and mature around her sister Tracy, she often found herself inexplicably drawn into the same old fights over who stole whose boyfriend which would leave them both in tears.

"Sweetie, let's just figure out how we're going to get Charles back to where he belongs, okay?" Myka said calmly and HG agreed.

* * *

By the time they walked back into the dining room, Charles had moved on to the youngest member and was working his magnetism on Claudia.

"You seem so young to possess so much beauty," he said smiling at Claudia and the otherwise jaded girl found herself smiling uncontrollably.

"He always was very good with the ladies," HG turned her head to say to Myka.

"Must be a Wells' family trait,' Myka said, nudging HG ever so slightly and making HG smile.

* * *

Artie called them both into the living room. "Look, I enjoy the Walton Family Reunions as much as the next guy but we've got a real problem on our hands," he said and Helena was lost in the reference but got the gist.

"Well, do we have any '_undo a wish'_ artifacts?" Myka asked.

"Not that I can recall off the top of my head. If you remember page 171 of Section 54 B of the manual on dual artifacts…," Artie said but Myka interrupted him with the answer.

"….._when the event is the result of two or more artifacts, caution must be used in the counter artifact as it may only react with one of the original artifacts_," Myka said because she had read it once.

"I'll go back to the Warehouse after dinner to search and Claudia will do the search from here. You are going to have to keep Charles here for as long as it takes," Artie said looking directly at Helena.

"For as long as it takes?" HG asked horrified at the thought.

"Unless you want to unleash HG Wells out into the world?" Artie asked and HG glared at him. She found it infuriating when people – who should know better – referred to _him _as HG Wells.

Charles seemed far less concerned with where he was and how he got there than he was with making the acquaintances of the females in his presence. When Leena came in from the kitchen after her trip into town, Charles was struck once more. "Oh, hello," Leena said surprised to see the guest in the dining room. He looked very familiar to her but his outfit seemed like a costume or period piece.

"Pete?" she asked waiting for the introduction.

Charles turned to see the woman who possessed the entrancing dark features. His mouth opened but nothing came out. Finally, he said – "Madam, please excuse my stare but never have I seen such exquisiteness in the female form before," and he bent down and kissed her hand. Leena allowed him to take it and she struggled to stifle the giggle that spontaneously came out of her mouth.

"This guy's got some moves," Pete said to no one in particular.

"You could learn a thing or two," Claudia said staring at Charles. Pete looked at her quizzically as her eyes seemed locked on the guest.

"Oh brother!" Pete said not intending to make the pun.

"My name is HG Wells but you may call me Charles, madam and from those lips I am certain my name will sound as if the angels are calling me," Charles said to Leena who was lost in his words.

"OK Casanova, here's the deal," Artie said getting back to business. "We need to find out how you got here and how we can get you back. In the meantime, you are to stay here with your sister and not cause any trouble."

"What man has a better sentence than I to be sequestered with such grace?" Charles said staring at the women.

"Can we eat?" Pete said, suddenly feeling threatened by having another male in the house. Especially one as corny as this guy whose lines were all working.

"Sure…. I'll just get…if you'll excuse me, Mr. Wells," Leena was all but stammering.

"Please do me the honor and call me Charles," the visitor said to Leena and she repeated his name slowly.

"Wow, he's got some frackin' mojo," Claudia said realizing she too had been affected.

The real interest of his desire had returned to the room and for him, none of the others possessed all the things that he found so attractive as Myka did.

"Tell me your full Christian name," he said to Myka who never heard the question put that way.

"Oh, well it's Myka Bering," she answered and HG glared at him. She could not help that her natural instincts caused her to move her body between them but Charles was not to be deterred. He simply stepped around his sister to be closer to Myka.

"_Myka_ is from the Hebrew _Micah_ which means, 'he who resembles God'," Charles said and even HG was surprised at his knowledge. "And surely the gods did their best when creating you."

"Her middle name's Ophelia," Pete called out because he was getting annoyed at everyone paying attention to anyone but him.

"Ophelia? After the erotic creature of Hamlet?" he asked.

And then Charles did something the Myka secretly dreamed a man would do with her all of her life. He recited Shakespeare.

"I did love you once," he said giving the line from Hamlet.

Myka didn't hesitate, "Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so."

"You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not," the faux Hamlet said.

"I was the more deceived," Myka said right on cue.

"Get thee to a nunnery, why woulds't thou be a breeder of sinners?" Charles said kneeling in front of Myka.

Myka turned dramatically, losing herself in the moment as if she were reenacting her lines from her high school play of Hamlet and spoke.

"O, what a noble mind is here overthrown!  
The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword,  
The' expectation and rose of the fair state,  
The glass of fashion and the mould of form,  
The' observed of all observers, quite, quite down!" Myka said with great feeling.

Artie stood there motionless. He had never seen nor heard his lead agent quite like this. Pete was totally confused but Claudia knew exactly where to look. She locked onto to HG who was neither impressed nor amused by the exchange. In fact, Claudia thought it funny that it was Shakespeare who first coined the expression written all over the Brit's face; '_green eyed monster'_.

Helena wanted to yell at her brother but Myka had played right along. Oh they would discuss that later! Helena's head shot back and forth as she tried to decide which one she wanted to address first but felt powerless to do so. HG did not do powerless well and so she yelled, "Arrrrgh" and stamped out of the room.

Myka went to go after her but Charles felt it was his duty. "Allow me, Miss Bering," he implored.

"Now Poppet…..," he said as he went after Helena.

"Something tells me _Poppet _is about to _droppit_," Pete said snapping his fingers.

* * *

As always - I appreciate your comments - I know they take time and thought.


	5. Wells and Bering and Wells

**Chapter Five Wells and Bering and Wells**

Charles caught up to his sister in the hallway. "Helena! What has gotten into you, love?" he asked with great concern.

"I …. You… in there….. with her…..," HG said unable to put it into words.

"Yes?" he tried.

"_I_ am HG Wells. _I_ am the master of phrases and ideas …and Shakespeare ….and of…," Helena tried again.

"Well of course you are, dear. But do _they _know that?" Charles asked casting his eyes towards the other agents.

"Yes Charles, they know it. They are my friends," Helena explained. HG stopped and took a deep breath. "Are you at all curious?" she said stretching her arms out and waving them, " …about any of this?"

Charles smiled because it was a very logical question. "No, actually I'm not," he answered truthfully. "I should be, I know. I should wonder how I am here and how you are here. I should wonder why that man called you '_agent_'. I should question a great many things but I'm not going to. I think for now, I will just enjoy her," he said looking back into the other room.

Helena just stared at him. If anything distracted her brother, it was beautiful women. She knew he was so taken with Myka that he didn't want to spoil it – as if it were a dream he could be woken up from. He did not ask to be here so would it be fair of her to tell him he did not have a snowball's chance in hell? Before she could decide, Charles was speaking …again.

"Now, you will come back inside and apologize to your friends," Charles said matter of factly.

"Are you bloody mad?" HG said with her hands across her chest in _defiance_.

"If those people truly are your friends, then the display you just put on will be offensive to their senses," Charles concluded.

"But … they…. You don't understand… it's not," HG tried to explain.

"I can't imagine good manners have gone out of fashion," Charles said showing HG the way.

"And if I refuse?" HG held her ground.

"Then I shall tell Father that you have been incredibly insolent and he will lock the basement door on you for a week!" Charles said and gave HG pause.

Of course he couldn't tell her father now but suppose when he got back to 1894, he remembered this and told her father back then. He would listen to Charles and indeed, punish Helena by taking away the one thing that brought her joy – her experiments. Could she be sanctioned for something she did now..…in the past? Anything, she was learning, was possible.

* * *

When the two of them returned to the group, Pete was the most surprised to see them both. "Helena," Charles prompted her gently.

"My brother has suggested I need to apologize for my …," HG stopped and rolled her eyes.

"Ill temper," Charles whispered. Pete's eyes grew wide as he waited for HG to lose it.

"My…. ill temper," HG said and Pete fell back into the chair. "I am so winning this bet," he said out loud.

"Charlie my man, do you mind if I call you Charlie or Chuck, I could call you Chuck," Pete said grabbing Charles by the shoulders. Even Artie was temporarily enamored by the guest.

Myka came to HG's side. "Are you ok?" she asked tenderly.

"That Shakespeare just _flowed_ from you lips," HG huffed not able to hide her annoyance.

Myka put her head down unable to hide her smile at how endearing Helena was when she was jealous. It was a rare sight. "You're not jealous of….," Myka said biting her cheek.

"Don't be ridiculous!" HG said back in a low voice, trying to disguise it.

"You have no reason," Myka said trying to sooth her friend again.

"I do not like it!" HG said definitively. _Could this woman be more adorable_, Myka thought.

* * *

"I hope you like filet mignon, Mr. Wells," Leena said to Charles.

"I thought we were having meatloaf?" Artie asked because that is what she said earlier.

"Artie, we have a guest," Leena said all smiles.

"Who shouldn't be here?" he reminded the group.

"Oh Artie, let him enjoy a nice meal while he's here," Leena whispered. Artie couldn't help but notice how the females of the house were all reacting to their visitor. He hadn't seen this much giggling since the _Saturday Night Live_ artifact came out of the bag in the SUV and every one of them got hysterical over anything that the others said.

The group sat down to dinner and Charles purposely sat next to Myka. "I do hope you'll indulge me and allow me the pleasure of dining next to you," he said to Myka. She was so taken with how politely he put everything. She could feel HG's breathing deepen on the other side of her.

"So Chuck, what kind of driver is your sister?" Pete asked because after all, it was what Pete was thinking of when he brought him here.

"Ah sir, I think we should talk about something a bit more pleasant with the ladies present," Charles explained thinking the discussion would upset them. HG just groaned. Myka put her hand on her leg under the table and patted it affectionately.

"I do say that Mr. Wilde, oh do you know who he is?" Charles asked his hosts.

"Yeah, we know that dude," Claudia confirmed.

"Well Helena almost single handedly delayed the opening of his play one time. Do you remember that Poppet," her brother asked.

"Charles, please refrain from calling me that," HG said doing a very bad job of smiling while she said it.

"Oh come on, _Poppet_. Tell us," Pete said, thinking he was safe across the table.

"Mr. Lattimer, if you call me that one more time, I will personally see to it that you are….," HG threatened but Myka squeezed her leg gently.

Pete should have known better but he couldn't help himself. He was happy to have the scales tipping in his favor with another male in the house. Myka had to keep her hand there for much of the dinner because Charles was reveling in the stories of how his sister had managed to clear the house due to a fire in the basement. It sounded all too familiar to the agents. "The downstairs maids refused to come back in the house," he laughed.

As surprised as Helena was to be having dinner with her brother and as pleased as part of her was to see him again, it was a disruption – an intrusion of sorts and it was revealing a part of her she did not like exposed. She was a Warehouse Agent and having someone talk about how she almost ran people down in front of the St. James theatre did not sit well with her.

She remembered how Charles adored the lavish parties at the house with dozens of women in attendance, all hanging on his every word. He would not shut up then and he would not shut up now! And the only thing that would distract him completely - had her hand on HG's leg, rubbing it soothingly … and HG started to think that maybe her sibling's annoying stories were a small price to pay for such affection.

Artie was anxious to get back to the Warehouse and asked Claudia to do what she could to research things from there. He instructed HG to keep an eye on Charles and then looked back at how he hadn't left Myka's side. "Or you can just keep an eye on Myka."

After dinner, which was very late because of Charles' stories, Pete grabbed the visitor and insisted they go to the library for an after dinner drink which for Pete was seltzer but brandy for the Englishman. Helena was glad to see someone keeping an eye on Charles so that she could relax. Myka walked her upstairs and suggested a nice warm bath might help make her feel better. "I'll be in soon," Myka promised and with that HG was off. Myka went in to talk to Claudia who was having no luck on finding an artifact to undo this.

"I've found lots of things we might use to 'wish' him away but so far, they all have consequences," Claudia admitted.

Myka tried to come up with something and then remembered a book in her room that might help so she returned to find it. She was busy looking for it when she heard; "You have a marvelous collection of books, Miss Bering," and she turned to see Charles in the doorway. "Have you read any of mine?" he smiled. Myka stared at him – there was a family resemblance and he did possess a kind of charm - even if it paled in comparison to his sister's.

"Close the door, Charles, I want to show you something," Myka said. Taken aback by suggestion, Charles looked around to see if anyone was there. "It's ok, I won't bite you," Myka said thinking he was concerned. Myka was forgetting that her guest might find this action inappropriate. Charles Wells may have been a gentleman, but he was no fool and so he accepted Myka's invitation and closed the door.

Helena had soaked in the hot water until it was tepid waiting for Myka. She tried not to get annoyed but she had really wanted Myka to come in and help her relax. Perhaps she was helping Claudia research the artifacts, she thought. She got out of the tub feeling disappointed. She dressed to go see what could possibly have distracted Myka from the one thing she was supposed to be concentrating on – namely Helena.

HG was about to knock on Myka's door when she heard;

"Charles, I told you – it's too big and will never fit. Even if you push hard, it won't work and you'll make a mess of things."

To which her brother replied, "Oh, Miss Bering just let me give it a gentleman's try. After all, I am very experienced at this sort of thing."


	6. Cells of Wells

** Thank you to everyone who is reading along and posting comments/suggestions/thoughts. It honestly helps think through the plot line and add/delete things.  
**

**Do you like Charles? Hmmm... decide after you read this.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Six Cells of Wells**

Helena's hand stopped short of knocking on the door. _Her brother? In Myka's room? Trying to fit what in where?_

She opened the door with such force that it slammed into the wall and came back at her but she was already in the room. Her hands were on Charles' lapels and she was pulling him down into her face, very close. "Get out," she said through gritted teeth. "I don't care where you go but if you don't get out of my sight right this instant," she said to him and the look in her eyes was just this side of madness.

"Helena, please," Charles said holding the oversized volume of Shakespeare in his hand. "I was just trying to put this book back on Miss Bering's shelf."

The fact that they were both standing there, fully clothed and not in each other's arms but holding books should have calmed Helena down and allowed the embarrassment to come forth. They could have all had a good laugh over it if only Helena could have stepped back for a minute and realized the mistake she made. But Helena had listened to a litany of faux pas she made over dinner and she had reached her limit.

"Get out of here now!" she said pushing Charles out of the bedroom. "I don't care where – just go!" she said and slammed the door. Now she turned to Myka who wanted to say something but could see how upset Helena was.

"_This_ is what kept you so occupied?" HG said in a tone harsher than she had planned.

"Helena….," Myka tried but HG was furious.

"Why was he in here? And why was your door closed?" Helena asked and Myka could hear the hurt in her voice as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I asked him to come in and close the door because I wanted to show him something," Myka said.

"Oh I bet you did!" HG said without thinking …. at all.

"Helena!" Myka said - her tone warning her not to say something she would regret. "Please..," she pleaded with HG to calm down but she turned on her heels and left.

Myka was right – she needed to calm down. She sniffed back her tears and returned to her own room, slamming the door so hard that a picture fell off the wall. The scales of reason had tipped and HG couldn't seem to get them back. Of course Myka wouldn't do anything with Charles. She trusted Myka with her life. She never doubted her fidelity before so why now? Charles!

Charles appeared from a time when he was entitled to things simply because of his gender. He didn't necessarily take things from Helena but rather he was ordained them because he was the male. He was the one who got to go to university while Helena had to settle for taking classes one at a time. He could stay out all night if he wanted to - when Helena had a curfew. When they were younger, he could be with a woman alone but Helena had to have a chaperone. And the ultimate sacrifice; she had allowed him to bask in her glory by assuming the authorship of her stories. And now he followed her into the 21st Century and wanted what had become so precious to her; he wanted Myka. It reminded Helena how he got things simply because he could and it infuriated her.

When she was done crying, Helena went back to apologize to Myka. This time she knocked lightly on the door. A humbled Helena was a quieter Helena. She said she was sorry for being so foolish and of course, Myka hugged her and told her she understood. Myka didn't always understand her brilliant friend's reactions but this time she thought she got it. _Sibling rivalry sucked_. Myka knew from experience it was draining and gut wrenching.

Through tears, Helena explained, "I know it's silly…(sniff)… but he… was (sniff) flirting with you and …(sniff) …. and you were … (sniff) … smiling and then he did …. (crying) …Shakespeare! And I know you love Shakespeare!" HG cried and threw her head down into Myka's lap.

"Oh sweetie," Myka said as she held onto Helena who dissolved into tears.

Any other time a man flirted with Myka, HG got her back up against the wall and became assertive, aggressive or downright nasty. Never did she cry. Myka bit her lip again, hard because she knew Helena needed sympathy. She didn't dare admit it, but a part of Myka liked this – not HG crying or feeling threatened but the jealous HG, the not so sure of herself HG. Myka rubbed Helena's back. She liked being able to comfort and assure Helena.

The emotional mood swing and outpouring was exhausting for HG and she eventually fell asleep in Myka's arms. Myka wanted to tell her how she had showed Charles her copies of _The Time Machine_ and _War of the Worlds_ and all of Helena's books. She pointed out to Charles how his picture still adorned the covers because even now, after all these years, Helena never told anyone that she was the true author of those stories. Charles seemed very touched by that. _She would tell her that tomorrow_, she thought as she, too drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Helena woke up in the middle of the night. Something was wrong. She looked at Myka who was sound asleep next to her. She slowly slipped out of bed and went to her room. She had not taken care of where Charles would sleep and hoped Pete had been kind enough to set him up in the guest room. She heard the vibrating noise of her phone and retrieved it. Someone was calling her at three o'clock in the morning.

"Hello?" HG said quietly in the darkness of her room.

"Agent Wells?" the male voice said.

"Yes?" HG answered.

"Agent Wells, we have a man down here who claims to be your brother," he informed her.

"Who the bloody hell is this?" HG asked trying to get her bearings.

"This is Sargent Verne of the Univille Police, that's the bloody hell who I am," the man said roughly.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sargent Verne. Really? Verne?" HG asked noting the name.

"This guy must be your brother cause he sounds as disoriented as you. Now do you want to come down and get him out of our friendly little jail or do you want him to stay the night?" the policeman asked.

"Jail? For what?" HG asked pulling her clothes on her.

"Seems he has no ID, no money, no credit cards and yet he ran up a rather large tab at the bar that he couldn't pay for," the Sargent reported. "Bought drinks for the whole crowd."

"That sounds very much like my brother. Yes Sargent, I'll be right there to get him. I apologize," HG said hoping to smooth things over.

"Just come and get him please. That infernal singing is really getting on my nerves," Sargent Verne said and hung up.

Helena didn't want to wake anyone so she pulled herself together and left in the SUV to retrieve her brother. "_Artie will bloody kill me_," is the thought that kept repeating in her head. It was that thought that distracted her from the red and blue flashing lights that were coming up fast behind her. She looked down at the speedometer. Surely they would understand that she was anxious to get her brother.

"Officer, you don't understand," HG said handing over her license and registration, quite familiar now with the routine. The policeman took the information and put it into his computer in his car and returned to Helena.

The officer put the flashlight onto her face. "I do wish you would listen, sir. I am on my way now to your jail," HG said impatiently.

"Yes ma'am, you certainly are," he said before asking her to step out of the car.

The young officer explained that she was driving with a suspended license and he had to take her in. He was sure she would get off with just issue a warning but that was for the judge to decide and he was asleep at that hour. Out of courtesy, he didn't handcuff her but HG wasn't impressed with that gesture. He accompanied her inside the police station where the desk Sargent thought she was arriving to pick up her brother.

"Driving with a suspended license," the young officer informed him.

"Are you kidding me? You were supposed to pick him up not join him," he said to Helena who stared at him intently.

Charles was practically asleep in the holding cell when he opened his eyes just a little and saw Helena.

"Poppet! So kind of you to come and rescue me," Charles said slurring his words just a bit. He started to get his jacket when he heard the adjoining cell door slam shut. "Love, whatever are you doing in there?" he asked HG, very confused.

"They thought it might be better if there were steel bars between us because I am going to kill you when I get my hands on you," HG said though the bars.

"But why?" Charles asked innocently.

"Why _Cookie_?" HG finally addressed him by his nickname. "Because you have done nothing but annoy and embarrass me since you arrived here!"

The Sargent looked over at the cop filing out the paperwork. "You couldn't let her off with a warning? She could have picked up her brother and they'd be out of here. "

"Whatever have I done?" Charles asked and the policemen started to listen in.

"Whatever? Oh please Charles. You always do this and you always know you do this. Charming all the ladies, reciting Shakespeare, offering to shove things where they don't belong!" HG said.

The two cops looked at each other in the outside office. "Get me a coffee, this is going to be good," the higher ranked cop said.

"Oh Poppet, she was showing me my books, eh… your books," Charles said, the pain in his head pounding from having to think.

"You're bloody right _my_ books. _My _stories, _my_ ideas, _my_ bloody words!" HG ranted.

"I take it you live in a time now when that would not be an issue," Charles said surmising what knowledge he had gained from a night out in the local pub.

He was really upsetting Helena now. He was being calm and understanding and that made it close to impossible to fight with him. "Do not concern yourself with what time I live in. You will not be here much longer," HG said and this caught the cops' attention.

"Better keep an eye on _Poppet_ and _Cookie_," the younger cop said.

"You still have that temper," Charles said lying back down on the cot.

_Oh no, he wasn't going to sleep now_. "You listen to me Charles Herbert George Wells, you stand up! Do not fall asleep when I am yelling at you!" HG said as he smiled and dozed off. "You are so infuriating. You always get your way with Father. You tell him one thing and he believes you. _Oh Helena was rude to the maid, oh Helena didn't say hello to Mrs. Bennett, oh Helena started a fire in the basement_!" she said in a mocking tone.

"But you did do all those things," Charles said with his eyes closed.

"That's not the point! You told on me is the point, Charles. You always tell on me and Father always believes you!" HG complained.

"How old are these two?" the Sargent commented.

"OK well I won't tell on you anymore," Charles said trying to keep the peace. "But you know Helena; you do cause a lot of trouble at home."

"Excuse me?" HG said from the other cell and closed the distance between them. If only she could reach him.

"The way you won't listen to Father. That innocent act you put on for Mother's sake. I know you have left your room after dinner when they've retired for the evening. I know you see Jules when he comes in from Paris. And I also know you went to the party with Oscar after his play that time," Charles said letting HG know he wasn't as dumb as he looked.

"Can you understand what they're saying?" the older cop asked his colleague.

"No, must be those accents," he said.

Charles resigned himself to the fact that his sister was not going to allow him any peace. He slowly got up from his cot and walked over to the cell wall dividing them to try and reason with her.

"Now Poppet, why don't we try to get out of here so that I can spend what little time I have left with that beautiful creature, Miss Bering," he said and was surprised when HG reached through the bars and grabbed his shirt and pulled him close. The policemen heard the yelling and ran in to see Charles being pulled up against the bars by his sister.

"Agent Wells, Agent Wells! Release him immediately!" the Sargent said fumbling with the keys to unlock the cell.

"You can have anything you want, Charles. My stories, my ideas, my bloody lines if you want but you cannot and never will have Myka Bering!" she yelled at a very stunned Charles.

The Sargent grabbed Helena and pulled her back. The young cop had Charles and was pulling him out of her grip.

"Holy Brady Bunch! What is up with you two?" the Sargent said, indicating HG should sit down on the cot in the cell.

"I'd rather burn in hell," she said indicating she would not sit on it.

"Roy, would get her highness a chair so she can sit down in here and cool off?" he yelled to the younger cop.

"Now, who would you like me to call to come and get you?" he asked HG.

"Oh Poppet, call Myka," Charles said irking his sister and HG shot up from her chair but the policeman was there to restrain her.

That was it! The last straw. Helena collected herself and the cop let go of her. "Do you have siblings, Sargent Verne?" she asked. "Yeah, two brothers," he answered. "Then you know how totally frustrating they can be?" HG smiled to show she was under control now.

"Would you be so kind as to call this number and ask Agent Bering to come down here?" HG now asked in her sweetest tone. The Wells charm was alive and kicking in Cell Block number two now and the cop was taken with the transformation.

"Now can I trust you two to behave?" he asked before he left.

"Of course," HG said sitting back in the chair, smiling sweetly at the man. The Sargent walked out of the room slowly to make the call. No sooner had he reached the doorway than HG was over by the bars between them.

* * *

"Charles, do you remember a certain Miss Wellington?" she asked calmly and amiably.

"Do I remember her? Of course Helena, I was engaged to her!" Charles said the frustration still in his voice. "Until she confessed to a torrid affair right before we were to be married and saved me the embarrassment of having to go through with the ceremony!"

"Yes, well about that Cookie," HG said smiling devilishly through the bars at her brother. "There's something you might want to know about her affair."

* * *

Back at the B&B, Claudia lay asleep at her desk after hours of rummaging through the data files of artifacts. She thought she found something that might just work but it was too late to ask Myka what dress size she was so it would have to wait until morning. She woke for a second and touched the mouse which made the picture appear again. On the screen flashed Marilyn Monroe's gown; the one she wore when she sang _Happy Birthday_ to President Kennedy.


	7. That's How 'Cookie' Crumbles

**I have gotten official approval on Charles' nickname - thank you britpup.  
Thank you for your comments and suggestions. I know you've been waiting for the artifact action -  
Hope this 'solution' is an understandable one. If not, ask away and I'll do my best to make it clearer.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Seven That's How _Cookie_ Crumbles**

"Helena! What do you know about Miss Wellington's affair?" Charles said angrily because it was still a very sore point for him. He loved that woman and weeks after they were engaged, she announced not only did she love another, she had been having an affair. All of London was abuzz with the news and she had to move to the countryside to escape the gossip. Charles swore revenge but they never did discover who the scoundrel was. _Until now_.

"Let's just say Charles that she did indeed share her affections with a Wells, it just wasn't you," HG said leaning into him across the bars. _Ha! Try and take Myka Bering and suffer the wrath! _

"But how? What? Helena, you're not making any sense a 'tall," Charles said trying to figure out if she meant a cousin perhaps. "You don't mean ….," he asked because the chesire cat grin on Helena's face suggested she knew very well what happened.

* * *

Myka was not only surprised to hear her phone ring at 5 AM, she was concerned when she reached for HG and she wasn't there. The Sergeant explained that he had not one -but two - of her friends in the town jail and would she be so kind as to come straight away because he was afraid they'd kill each other. Myka hurried and dressed and saw that the SUV was missing. Then she figured out why HG was incarcerated. She drove carefully and slowly into town to get the Wells siblings before they got each other.

* * *

"What are you saying?" Charles raised his voice. Helena smiled now, giving him back a bit of his own.

"Let me see if I can put this more plainly for you, Charles. Your fiancé was starving for affection and you were too busy making the rounds at your parties to feed her," HG said slowly.

"To feed her? Helena, I don't understand you." He tried to consider what HG had already told him_. A Wells_? "Good Lord, Helena! You're not accusing Father of seducing her!" he yelled at the very thought.

"Not Father, Charles. Someone much closer to her age," HG said batting her eyelashes at him. It took a minute for Charles to put it together.

"Helena! You didn't!" he said his voice covered in fury, the red color rising to his face. Now he came close to the steel bars between them but HG moved out of his way.

"Oh _I_ didn't, Charles. Your fiancé did. Came right to my bedroom to talk about how nervous she was about the marriage. She confided in me how worried she was because she was so…how did she put it, oh yes, inexperienced in matters of … the bedroom," HG relayed to him emphasizing the key words. The mocking tone was not lost on him.

"And you instructed her?" Charles said aghast.

"Let's just say that Clarice did not _leave_ the room ….. an _inexperienced_ woman, Charles," HG said pushing him further.

"Helena! How could you?" he yelled through the bars.

"Well, I would tell you _how_ Charles but I still don't think you'd be as good at it as I am," she retorted in the ultimate competition.

The policemen had been contacting Myka and processing the paperwork so they missed the details of the latest argument. They just couldn't wait to get them out of there.

Charles was sobering up by the second. He was livid now with this news.

"Don't be angry with me, Charles. Clarice kissed me, I did not kiss her. Not my type really," HG said unable to hold back.

"Oh and who is your type, Helena? Myka Bering? Are you convinced you can lead her down your darkened path?" he spat across the cell.

"Charles, not only has Myka joined me on that path, we have taken up residence there!" HG said thinking she was impervious now to his jabs.

Charles was down but not out for the count. He knew his sister and while this update threw him, he would not let her win so easily.

"Well for someone so sure of her companion, it seems a bit curious to me why Miss Bering was so taken with _my_ presence. You did notice her flirting back, did you not? And how she engaged in our Shakespeare tête-a- tête? That took no prompting at all," Charles said slowly.

He smiled when he saw his monologue had given Helena pause. She turned to look at him and it was evident that he had stung her back. Helena wasn't as impermeable as she liked him to think. Myka indeed was her weakness.

"So help me Charles, when they let me out of here…," Helena started at him.

"You mean when they let _us_ out, don't you Poppet? Wouldn't want me stuck here to tell my story now would you?" Charles pointed out. "And this way, we can both go back and let Miss Bering decide for herself which Wells she would rather have. The tall, dark and handsome one or the one who can't control her temper?" he said.

"There is no way in hell Myka would choose you, Charles. Not if you spewed Shakespeare all day long," HG said getting more upset by the minute.

"Oh I don't think it was Shakespeare she wanted from my tongue when she invited me into her bedroom and instructed me to close the door," Charles said confidently, twisting the verbal knife.

"Why you…," HG yelled and put her arms through the bars this time. If only she could reach him!

"Why are you so afraid to let her choose?" he said.

"Afraid? Are you bloody mad?" Helena yelled taking every bait he set out. He knew exactly what words to use to send HG over the edge and he was delivering them one after the other.

Suddenly, Helena caught Charles smiling broadly and looking past her and she turned to see Myka standing there. The two of them rushed to the front of their respective cells to tell her their side of the story. Only HG's contained the phrase; "…_and then we can dispose of the body_."

"You know Agent Wells, if anything happens to your brother here, you're going to wind up on my short list of suspects," the Sergeant said as he stood there. He didn't know which one to release first. "I think maybe you want to have a little talk with your partner here, Agent Bering?" he offered and Myka thanked him. It didn't matter to Helena that she was being released first because the cop thought she needed the most talking to. She turned to Charles and smiled wickedly.

* * *

Helena stamped her way out to the car and slammed the door shut as if they could now leave. "Helena, would you mind telling me how the two of you wound up in jail? You know, in case Artie asks me?" Myka said trying to bring HG back to her senses.

"He was arrested for being the drunken coward that he is and I was erroneously detained for having to come and get him!" HG stated.

"Helena, you see the bigger picture here, right? Your brother is here from the 19th century and we have to find a way to send him back, yes?" Myka pointed out ….again.

"Yes, but Myka he is just so infuriating!" Helena said proving that she did not see the bigger picture at all.

"OK, well let's get him back to the B&B. Claudia said she's come up with something that might work but we need him in our presence … alive… Helena, to return him," Myka said yawning as the sun began to peek over the horizon. _God this was going to be a long day._

* * *

Myka went back in to collect Charles and the policeman told her that they both would have court appearances that week. "Oh this is just great!" Myka said to herself. HG was at the door waiting for them in case Charles tried something.

"How did you even get into town?" Myka asked him out of curiosity.

"By bicycle, of course. I've always said; "_every__ time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race," _Charles quoted.

Helena moaned loudly. "You are quoting me, you imbecile!"

* * *

Myka just wanted a strong cup of coffee and she couldn't drive fast enough to the B&B. The Wells siblings had not stop exchanging barbs since they left the police station and she wasn't sure which one was more annoying. She drove to the house and almost jumped out of the car. She turned to face the two of them.

"I don't know how the two of you managed to write a sentence together, let alone volumes! " Myka said and went into the house.

"I got good news and I got bad news," Claudia greeted them. She was in the same clothes as she was in last night which meant to Myka that she has spent the whole night working on this.

"Why don't you go lie down," Myka said to Charles and then stared at HG until she wiped the smirk off her face.

"Yes, Charles you must be so tired after your night of carousing with women at the local pub," HG said before Myka gently pushed her into the dining room.

Charles went upstairs and Leena was more than happy to show him to the guest room. She secretly hoped that whatever solution Claudia came up with did not work too soon. "I am undeserving of such beauty this hour of the morning," he said to Leena who swore she had never seen a more beautiful aura. Leena had it bad for the _other _HG Wells.

* * *

Myka gulped down the coffee in hopes it would erase some of the tension headache the ride home had given her.

"OK, so here's what I have. The only artifact I could find that might remotely work is the gown that Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang _Happy Birthday_ to JFK," Claudia announced through her muffin stuffed mouth.

"What?" Myka asked because she couldn't see how this would work.

"May 19th, 1962 – Marilyn Monroe sings for President John F. Kennedy at the celebration of his 45th birthday. She wore this dress and sang _Happy Birthday Mr. President_ and made headlines. She was the epitome of a sex symbol singing to the President of the United States," Claudia read from her laptop.

"There was great speculation that they were having an affair, isn't that right?" HG asked.

"Yes and then she died August 5th, 1962. There have been conspiracy theories that it wasn't an accidental drug overdose. What does the dress have to do with our situation?" Myka asked.

"Well, the dress is _half_ the solution. It seems it's imbued with the _Happy Birthday_ song. When someone wears the dress and sings Happy Birthday to someone whose birthday it is – they give that person's birthday wish _major mojo_," the young Agent explained.

"Meaning?" Myka asked.

"Meaning the birthday wish comes true. In this case, to send Charles back," Claudia said.

"So Charles has to wear the dress?" HG said excited at the thought.

"No," Claudia said putting distance between her and her fellow agents. "According to this, the dress has to be worn by the _love interest_ of the person you are trying to affect so …..Artie suggested ….. that…. You know…. Maybe…. It should be worn by …. Myka," she said slowly.

"Oh you are kidding me?" Myka said putting down the coffee none too gently. "What's the good news?" she asked as she caught the expression on Helena's face. She was already eyeing Myka up and down, imagining her in that dress.

"Uhm, Myka _that_ was the good news," Claudia said. "The _bad_ news is you have to sing the song to someone, whose birthday is soon, like within ten days because that's how far in advance Marilyn Monroe sang it to the President in 1962."

Myka put her head down. There had to be another way but Claudia wasn't done.

"The _really, really_ bad news is that the person whose birthday is up next is ….. Artie," Claudia said and closed her eyes.

* * *

**OK be honest - - - do you think Myka can pull this off with Artie? Or should I use a different combination of agents for the artifact to work?  
**

**It can be changed ... I think.**


	8. Oh That Wells Charm

**I think I sufficiently confused some of you on the artifact at work and someone suggested I clear that up.  
I have tried here - and hope that helps.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Eight Oh That Wells Charm**

"For after the Battle comes quiet." HG Wells

* * *

Myka lifted her head up from the table long enough to ask; "Wait, Artie thinks I should sing this song ….in that dress…..To him?"

"Well, no - he doesn't realize it but I know everyone's birthday and his is next," Claudia said. "But he suggested you as Charles' …. Uhm…. Love interest," she said in a low voice hoping HG would not hear. She did.

Myka thought it all over. There was no way she wanted to sing _that song_ to anyone in front of people …in _that dress_ …but if this was taking one for the team, she wanted extra vacation days out of the deal.

Artie came through the front door like a bull in a china shop. "Arrested? Not one but both of you?" he said finding the trio.

"Well, I went … Charles was out …," HG started but knew she would not win.

"You were supposed to keep an eye on him … here..…not from the adjoining cell. I should have been clearer about that, I know," he said with his usual dose of sarcasm.

"Artie, we have to find another way," Myka said putting her hand to her forehead.

"We couldn't find anything so I don't know what to tell you Myka. And since it seems Mr. Wells has set his sights on _you,_ only you can wear it," Artie said all business like.

"Artie, I know Charles may think he has some feelings for me, but I'm going to explain to him that it's infatuation - maybe - but not real," Myka explained having thought out her plan.

"Yes do that. Do that straight away!" Helena chimed in. _Ha! Take that Cookie!_

"Yeah and then who will sing it? No, you're our best bet here, Myka, sorry. You're going to have to sing it to him," Artie concluded. "You see, since Pete used two artifacts to get him here, we need a two- prong approach to send him back. The dress and the birthday wish are a packaged deal."

"Ah, Artie … she has to sing it to the person's whose birthday is next," Claudia pointed out.

"Yeah, so today is September 13th and HG … Charles' birthday is the 21st. Perfect," Artie said.

"I know everyone's birthday Artie, and yours is before that," Claudia said.

"How do you? Who told you? What are you talking about?" Artie blurted out.

"Artie, I hacked the files remember?" Claudia said.

"Yeah, well you better check again Slick, cause I change my date of birth every six months," Artie said smugly.

Claudia checked her laptop but you could hear Myka's sigh of relief over the pounding of the keys.

"I'm telling Mrs. Frederic," Claudia yelled when she realized Artie had changed a lot of his information.

"Yeah, you do that. So it looks like Myka will have to sing to Charles but how do we know he'll make the correct wish is the question?" Artie thought out loud.

"Oh I am sure I can convince him," HG offered.

"Where is your brother?" Artie asked.

"Upstairs sleeping," HG assured him.

"He ain't sleeping I can tell you that," Pete said coming in on the conversation. "Sounds like Chuck's getting his _grove on_ up there, if you know what I mean," Pete said, swiveling his hips and grabbing a danish.

"I most certainly do not know what you mean, Mr. Lattimer. What does that mean?" HG asked annoyed.

"I mean …. I just heard your brother and a lady friend in the guest bedroom. Man, he's here twenty four hours and he meets someone. This town blows," Pete complained.

Helena looked at Myka who returned the stare. "No?" Myka said to her across the table. "You don't think…nah," Myka said cryptically.

"Could you please get lover boy down here so we can begin the process of returning him to his century?" Artie commanded. "How did I get so lucky as to have two Wells in the same house?"

"I think a nice breakfast is in order first," Leena said as she rushed into the dining room and continued straight into the kitchen, all the time fixing her blouse. "Can't send him back on an empty stomach."

Wide eyes darted back and forth as the agents tried to figure out what just happened. No one wanted to say it but everyone was thinking it. Pete's mouth remained opened until Myka nudged him.

"Well, on the upside, I do think Leena is a better fit for the dress," Artie said without skipping a beat.

"And now you don't have to break Charles' heart, Myka," Claudia chimed in.

"I will break his….," HG said rushing out of the room.

"You better follow her," Artie said to Myka and collapsed in the chair. _Didn't they know that stress this early in the morning was not good for him_, he thought.

* * *

Helena was all set to give Charles a piece of her mind in spite of the fact that she was very pleased his affections had moved elsewhere and away from Myka. She stormed up the stairs with Myka on her heels but they both stopped short when the site of a towel clad Charles met them in the hallway.

"Oh Poppet, I was just coming downstairs for you," Charles said with renewed vigor in his voice.

"Like that?" HG said horrified.

"I am finding the 21st century quite liberating with its lack of restraints and mores," Charles said. He certainly was acclimating quickly.

Myka wanted to retreat in embarrassment but she found her eyes glued to the half-clad man in front of her. Charles' shoulders were a lot broader in the buff and his white teeth gleamed against his ruddy complexion. _Wow!_ _Why wasn't he pale? Must be from the safaris in Africa_, Myka thought …and thought she said it to herself ….but it truth, she said it out loud.

"What?" HG turned to her and said obviously annoyed.

Myka's eyes widened as she realized they both heard her. "I was just… wondering …. why … Charles wasn't fair ….. light…. Fair skinned ….being British and all," Myka stumbled. _Where did that come from? It must have been because she had spent hours looking at her favorite author's picture - had she not?_

What Charles lacked in clothing he more than made up for in smugness and HG wanted to rip that grin off is face. "I'm afraid Myka has some news that will wipe that smile right off your face, Charles, " HG said slowly.

"Oh do you, Miss Bering? Perhaps we could discuss it…. in your bedroom …. again," Charles said and Helena rushed at him_. This was almost too easy_, he thought. His was ready – he slipped inside the guest room and locked it to prevent her entry.

"I will bloody kill you, Charles!" HG yelled as she banged on the door. "Come out here you coward and face me like the weasel you really are! So help me Charles, I will build a new time machine and go back to 1894 and seduce _all_ of your lovers!" she threatened.

Upon realizing what she said, she turned slowly to see the arched eyebrow staring at her from down the hall. "Well, not really Myka….," HG explained.

Charles opened the door quickly, dressed in Pete's clothes now and whispered, "And I shall stay here and _seduce_ yours, Poppet."

Helena looked at Myka as if the answer to this thorn in her side resided there. Myka recognized that look of total exasperation because she felt that way after a few days with her own sibling. However, it seemed to take the Wells family members a lot less time. Helena was more furious than before because now she realized Charles wasn't necessarily set on wooing Myka, he was just determined on annoying her.

"Miss Bering, would you do me the pleasure of taking me to Mister Lattimer so that I can thank him for the use of his clothes. Miss Leena insisted that she clean the ones I traveled here in," he said slowly turning to HG. "And she said they won't be done for hours." He took Myka's arm and started downstairs.

"Charles, I think I should tell you that I do not share your feelings ….," Myka said now because she knew that was what HG wanted but she felt foolish saying it after his tryst with Leena.

"Oh Miss Bering, your words injure me to the quick. I would say we could remain friends but as I have often said many times; _ between__ men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship," _ Charles said looking deeply into Myka's green eyes – that were glued to his. He was eloquent.

"Oh for God's sake, Charles! You bloody hell didn't say that! Oscar Wilde said that!" Helena screeched from upstairs at his arrogance.

* * *

There at the bottom of the steps was the only thing that would pull Helena back to her sane self ..or what was left of it.

"Mr. Wells, I presume?" said Mrs. Frederic. HG halted at the top of the stairs and retreated thinking maybe one Wells was enough for her to deal with. She prayed she did so in time and Mrs. Frederic did not see her.

"And whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to," Charles said and bowed. He didn't know much about the time period he was in but he recognized authority when he saw it and he knew this woman was in charge.

"I am Mrs. Frederic, Charles. And I am here to help you return home," the Sage said definitively.

"Then madam, I am in your debt for any assistance you might provide me," he said because it was the expected thing to say.

"Agent Bering, where is everyone?" Mrs. Frederic asked and Myka turned to the dining room but didn't utter a word. She was too busy wondering where her partner was.

"Shall we then?" Mrs. Frederic said waving her hand for them to enter before her.

"Will you be joining us, Agent Wells or do you intend to remain hiding up there?" she called behind her almost amused that the woman thought she could hide from her. HG came down the stair slowly and joined them in the dining room.

"Oh oh," Pete said with a mouth filled with his second danish. He knew there would be plenty of trouble to go around with Mrs. Frederic there. Artie just smiled because he enjoyed the additional back up.

"Really Arthur, housing HG Wells and I only hear about it now?" she said annoyed.

"He's not….," HG said almost rising from her chair but Myka was there to pull her back down. "But he _isn't,_ Myka," HG whined. It was official – her brother's visit had reduced her mental age to five.

"Good point, Agent Wells," Mrs. Frederic said, noticing the exasperation in her agent. She wasn't without feeling even if she rarely showed them.

"The issue is that a mixture of artifacts brought Mr. Wells here and that, Mr. Lattimer, has complicated things," she began her summation.

"_Mi mou_," Pete said admitting his part, his mouth still full. If this was going to be his last meal, he wanted to make the most of it.

"Mrs. Frederic, I hope there will be no more trouble on my account. Your agents, as you call them, have been more than gracious in their hospitality and care," Charles said from his seat.

"Yes, _more than gracious_…," Mrs. Frederic said looking down the table at Leena. Leena so rarely witnessed any reproach from her boss that she couldn't stand it.

"It would seem that _your _behavior in particular, Mr. Wells have complicated our course of action this morning. Why don't you go into the kitchen for some tea while I discuss our next move with my agents," Mrs. Frederic instructed and Charles rose from the table and joined a jittery Leena in the kitchen.

HG sat there amazed. _His behavior changed their course of action and all he got was 'go have some tea?' is the question that burned in her head._

* * *

"My dear, you're trembling," he said to her as he kissed her shaky hand. "Charles, what happened with us … upstairs….is very unusual for me. I don't ever …really," Leena tried to explain even to herself what had happened.

* * *

"Arthur, we need to act on this. Agent Donovan tells me the achieves of the London Times now show that HG Wells was missing for twenty four hours before he was found," Mrs. Frederic said. Time was catching up with them – literally.

"Well, the dress has to be worn by a love interest of the person you want to affect and then the person whose birthday is up next has to blow out the candle and make a birthday wish. We thought it was Myka but now ….It's all we could come up with," Artie explained.

"Yes, it appears Mr. Wells' affections have digressed and so Agent Bering will be spared the new wardrobe," Mrs. Frederic said letting everyone know that she knew what was going on.

"Oh thank God," Myka said out loud.

"It would seem Leena now has that honor. As for the next birthday, I am aware of your tampering with the files, Arthur.

"You got caught!" Pete blurted out.

"Be careful, Mr. Lattimer. I am not convinced that Charles does not love you…. like a brother. We could always test that theory," the Sage said.

"Ok, see? Not funny," Pete said in a very low voice.

"The good news is that the paper says he had no recollection of what happened to him when he returned, so that's good - right?" Claudia asked as she read the report on her laptop.

"Alright then, I say we get ready to do this after breakfast," Artie said. "Give them time to say goodbye and all," he added because really he just needed some of the danish Pete had been eating.

"Very well, Arthur. And when it is all done, I would like to speak to each of you …. Individually," Mrs. Frederic said and suddenly no one felt like eating.

* * *

**Does that help? Up next - A Farewell to Charles**


	9. A Farewell to Charles

**Thank you to everyone who read along and posted comments/ideas -  
I very much appreciate them all.  
In my haste, I overlooked the fact that the faux HG Wells' (Charles in this story) nickname was 'Bertie' (in real life) so I hope  
you will excuse the rather lame way I worked that into this chapter. **

* * *

**Chapter Nine A Farewell to Charles**

There was a silent awkwardness at breakfast until Charles spoke up. "I fear I may have left you with the impression of some inappropriate behavior on my part," he started and more than one of them choked on their orange juice. "Oh Charles, please…," Leena said but Charles' mind was made up and so he continued. He was after all, a Wells.

"I want you to know that while my gentleman merits may by questioned, Miss Leena has been the very epitome of dignity and grace of the highest standards," Charles said and kissed the hand that was not covering her face.

"Oh yeah, they did it," Pete said and Myka kicked him under the table.

"I hope you will excuse me, Mrs. Frederic - as I would like to spend a few minutes with my sister," Charles asked. Mrs. Frederic looked over at HG who appeared to be calmer. She shook her head _yes _and Charles pulled the chair out for HG to get up. They walked into the hallway and HG led them into the office.

"I still have Chuck," Pete said to Claudia forgetting who was at the table.

* * *

"Helena, I fear our time together now is drawing to a close," Charles said and for the first time wondered out loud about the situation.

"I am beginning to understand that you are here by design and won't be returning with me. And yet, I will see you when I return, is that not true?" Charles asked.

"Charles, I cannot begin to explain how I am here," HG started.

"Is it your time machine, Helena? Does it really work? Can you travel here and back whenever you want?" he asked with great hope.

"No Charles, not in the way I had hoped. Your presence here is serendipitous. I am meant to be here," HG said calmly.

"Are you happy hear, Helena? You seem to be except when you are in my presence," her brother laughed.

"I am very happy here Charles, as you will be when you return, I promise," Helena said because she knew what happened next.

"I won't lie, Helena, I am tempted not to participate in my leaving and to stay here," Charles said honestly.

"You would regret it Charles. There is a life and a love that awaits you back in London," she said.

"Miss Bering told me about the stories, Poppet. Last night in her bedroom, she showed me the copies of your stories that still have my picture on them even though you could tell the world now I suppose that you are really the genius behind those works," Charles said affectionately.

Helena felt embarrassed that she had overreacted and had not realized that of course Myka was doing something on her behalf.

"You became very jealous of my attention to Miss Bering. Is she the one you love, Helena?" Charles asked without any judgment in his voice.

"With my heart and soul, Charles, with my heart and soul," HG said softly.

"Well then I am happy for you. I do not understand how I got here or why you are here but I think I understand why you stay. I hope one day I find a love that keeps me anchored the way she does you, Helena," Charles said, placing a kiss on the top of his sibling's head.

"It has been good to see you," Helena said sincerely. "I think I shall change your nickname to _Bertie_, Charles. _Cookie_ no longer fits you," she added.

"Then _Bertie _it is," Charles agreed. The siblings walked outside to the hallway.

"It's nice to see that time has not changed some things, Helena," her brother said. "I can still beat you at your own game," he teased.

"Don't be ridiculous Charles, you never could and this visit proves you never will," HG retorted.

That was when Pete decided to edge his bet with a little help.

"Hey, could us guys talk for a minute, HG?" Pete asked and HG was happy to leave them alone.

Within a few minute, the boys returned to the dining room where Charles asked to be excused yet again while he went into the kitchen to see Leena.

"This guy is taking forever to leave," Artie complained.

* * *

Leena was getting Charles' clothes together when he came into the kitchen.

"Mon Cherie," he said to her and Leena's heartbeat quickened. From the minute she laid eyes on Charles, she found him seductively attractive. His aura was intense and she could feel the waves of energy it emitted when she stood close to him. "Helena tells me I will not remember anything of my sojourn here but I promise you, I will remember you. Nothing in time can erase the joy of the few moments we shared together. I will always be a better man for it," Charles said and pulled Leena into him. _Why didn't they make men like this anymore_? she wondered.

"Charles, I will always remember you," Leena said and tears swelled in her eyes.

"Do not cry, Miss Leena. I could not leave if I thought my absence brought you sadness," Charles said.

Leena knew what that meant. Then the most unassuming agent of the them all fought back the tears and did what she did best; she put her feelings second and took care of what had to be done.

* * *

"I don't mind telling you all how foolish I feel in this," Leena said a few minutes later as she came into the living room. She stopped short though when she caught the reaction of the males in the room. Pete's mouth was opened again and this time it had no food in it. Artie's eyes were as big as saucers and his head was turning but his eyes remained fixated. But it was Charles who smiled broadly, not at all surprised by how sensual this woman could be.

"Are you all set Bertie?" HG asked and drew the stare of her fellow agents. "What? I changed his nickname to sound more grown up."

"Oh yeah, now he sounds _seven_," Pete said.

"OK, so Leena if you will be so kind as to sing Happy Birthday to Charles and then Charles if you will make the wish to return home and then extinguish this candle, we should all be set," Artie said. Everyone agreed they knew what to do.

Charles had changed back into his original clothes and sat in front of the lit candle. It wasn't the small, typical ones you see on a cake. It was larger because Artie didn't want it to burn out or melt before Charles got to it.

Leena took a deep breath and began to sing the words to him. "Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Charles, Happy birthday to you," she sang softly and Charles was mesmerized by what he swore was the voice of an angel. Charles smiled, frozen in time for a minute as he stared at her face.

"Please," Leena implored because she wasn't sure how much longer she could do this for.

Charles turned to the candle, looked up at Helena and winked, closed his eyes and wished for his return trip home as he had promised. He didn't open his eyes when he blew out the candle; he wanted to remember the last image of them all there. With that, he was gone.

Leena immediately burst into tears and ran into the kitchen. Mrs. Frederic turned to Myka and she understood that she was the one to go comfort her. The Sage looked over at Helena who was motionless, staring at the place where her brother had been seconds before.

Helena had expected to feel relieved that things were back to normal but somehow, she felt a loss. "I think I will go to my room," she said and left.

Pete looked around at all the exits his fellow agents had taken and suddenly worried he was the only one left. "So, we're all good here, then right?" he asked.

"We will be, Mr. Lattimer, we will be," Mrs. Frederic assured him.

Claudia rechecked the database of the London Times and was happy to see that the paper reported HG Wells had been found, safe and sound.

* * *

Myka walked into the kitchen to find a gown clad Leena crying softly at the island. Leena was always so in control that Myka wasn't sure what she needed at the moment.

She put her hand on Leena's shoulder and the woman turned into Myka's body and sobbed. Myka put her arms around her friend and hugged her. "You must think I'm such an idiot," Leena said when she could finally speak.

"Leena, not at all. You have real feelings for him," Myka said sincerely.

"I have never before … never fallen …. For someone so fast. I don't know what came over me," Leena said pulling back and blowing her nose.

"He was very charming," Myka said and meant it. She too had felt the effects of his debonair presence.

"He was so gentle, Myka. He just took me in his arm and I melted," Leena admitted. "I don't know what came over me," she said again.

"They are charismatic, aren't they?" Myka said more to herself. Leena smiled to think that Myka of all people knew exactly what she was feeling.

* * *

By the time Myka returned to the dining room, Mrs. Frederic had taken her leave but not before she spoke to Pete about touching artifacts. Artie was happy to be leaving as well, having had enough excitement for one day. Claudia was pleased that her research had produced the right combination to undo the problem but was sorry to see Charles leave, too.

"For an old dude, he was really cute," she said to Myka.

"Yes, he was," Myka agreed.

"I don't think I've ever had a guy get under my skin so quickly," Claudia said.

"Yeah, I hear that a lot from the ladies myself," Pete said pushing his chest out.

"_Under _my skin. I think you hear that you're _on their skin_, like drool," Claudia said running from the room and added; "I think I won the bet!"

"We'll see about that!" he called after her.

* * *

Myka made her way upstairs knowing that the events had to have taken their toll on her Brit. She even knew that HG would not be in her own room but in hers and so that is where she went. HG was face down on the bed, having allowed the emotions of missing Charles come forth. His visit reminded her of just how long she traveled to get to where she was now.

"You ok, sweetie?" Myka asked HG, slowing pushing the hair off of her face and wiping the tears away.

"I spent so much time in the bronzer that I got used to missing my family. Seeing Charles reminded me how much I miss them," HG said accepting that this was how things were for a Time Traveler.

Myka leaned in and kissed her. "I'm here for you, Helena," she whispered. It was the only thing that Helena felt balanced things.

There was a card on the pillow in beautiful writing with Myka's name on it. "I think this is from Charles," she said as she opened it. "_Dear Miss Bering, it has been a great pleasure to meet you. I sense you are of great importance to Helena and for this I am grateful. She won't admit it but she needs someone to look out for her. I will be forever in your debt if you would do that, Miss Bering. Please take good care of her. Sincerely, Charles Wells _

Helena smiled when Myka read the card.

"Are all the Wells this charming?" Myka asked, knowing this would get a rise out of her friend.

"All the Wells? Do you really believe charm is something you share like eye color? Myka, it's very rare you know. You are born with it, you possess it or you don't. Charles is a pleasant enough gentleman, but I would hardly call him charming," HG said.

"Well, he managed to charm all of us," Myka said including herself in the mix.

"Yes, I noticed that," HG said with an arched eyebrow.

"Oh, no I meant … I was just … you know being polite. Not really under his spell," Myka said trying to get up but HG had a hold on her now.

"I think I shall enjoy showing you what _real _charm is all about, Myka. It's a lesson I promise you will enjoy learning," HG said devilishly.

* * *

**A short chapter next to wrap things up I think.**  
**Do you think I need to address anything in particular? **  
**As always - thanks for you help and reading along. **


	10. All's Wells That Ends Wells

******"Sometimes, you have to step outside of the person you've been and remember the person you were meant to be. The person you want to be. The person you are." HG Wells**

* * *

**Chapter Ten All's Wells that Ends Wells**

Helena worked diligently at helping Myka forget the charming visitor. All the time explaining to Myka how _her_ magnetism differed in style, strength and intensity from her brother's. "Charles would never do this," HG said right before touching Myka, making her too weak to argue the point even if she wanted to. It was a disagreement that Myka happily surrendered in.

There had been very little that HG and her brother were not competitive about but never before had she felt so unsettled by him. She was sorry she told him the truth about his fiancé. She said it out of spite and that was not good. HG was grateful he would not remember that.

They both heard Leena crying softly that night and wanted to go into her but Helena convinced Myka that they should allow her that time to cry over Charles.

"I am beginning to learn that feelings cannot be locked away as I had once thought, Myka," HG explained.

"Well you certainly got in touch with a lot of them in the short time that Charles was here. Were you always competitive with him?" Myka asked.

"Darling, it's simply not a competition when your opponent stands no chance against you," HG explained as only she could.

"Admit it, Helena – you were jealous of Charles," Myka teased her and drew the faux threatening glare.

"Don't be ridiculous," HG tried to dismiss the accusation.

"Your brother couldn't help it, he possesses that Wells' charm," Myka continued.

"Oh and are you still saying that there is _no _difference between us?" HG said assured now she had made her point several times.

"Well sure there is," Myka said running her finger across Helena's lip. "He has a moustache," Myka said and ran from the room.

"That is not funny, Myka Bering," HG said following her.

* * *

Myka decided that they needed to do something nice for Leena and so everyone got up before her bright and early the next day. HG and Myka fixed breakfast, Claudia and Pete picked out movies for the rainy afternoon entertainment and Artie grumbled just to keep things less suspicious.

Leena rolled over in bed. Her pillow was still damp from the tears that flowed from her eyes. She clutched the rose petals Charles had strewn across her pillow before he left. "_I will think of you whenever I see roses_," Charles wrote in the note he left for her. She gathered them and pressed them in the card and got ready to face her friends.

Leena arrived downstairs surprised that the table was set and breakfast was about to be served. Pete insisted she sit down while they got everything ready. "You didn't let HG cook alone in there, did you?" she asked quietly. "Nah, Myka's is in there with her," Claudia assured her. The door opened and in walked Myka with a tray of food and HG behind her carrying the orange juice. Leena looked up at a perfectly content Myka and the flour covered Helena. "I made the pancakes!" HG announced as if one would have to guess. "_Helped_," Myka mouthed the word to assure Leena her kitchen was still in one piece.

"I'm sure they are delicious," Leena said stifling her laugh. She was touched that her friends would go to such trouble to take care of her.

"So HG, everything okay with your room?" Pete asked with great curiosity. Helena laughed at the odd question and assured him that it was in perfect order.

"Everything okay when you went inside?" he asked again and she said nothing was out of place. He seemed strangely disappointed.

So now not only was he going to spend the week cleaning out the neutralizer hoses, the most disgusting job in the Warehouse as punishment from Mrs. F, he had lost the bet with Claudia and would have to do her share of chores as well.

'_Why didn't he do it_?' Pet e wondered to himself. He had given Charles very explicit instructions on how to get HG back.

There was a beep and Myka looked down at her phone. "Oh, my sister Tracy wants to come next weekend," she said out loud.

"No more siblings!" Artie shouted as he stuffed pancakes in his mouth. "Too much trouble."

Helena actually liked the idea of Myka's sister coming for a visit. There were a couple of things she wanted to set the woman straight on.

* * *

"So Charles, you have no recollection of where you have been for the last twenty four hours?" the doctor asked because his mother insisted he check Charles out once he was back. She had been frantic, as had all the family, when Charles did not come in for dinner last night and a search turned up nothing. They thought he was so distraught over the news from his fiancé the week before that he went off to be by himself. Only Helena found it intriguing instead of frightening. _She had locked herself in the basement with her notebooks and God knows what else_, her mother said. Charles was the reasonable one but Helena was a complete mystery to her parents.

The doctor confirmed that Charles appeared none the worse for his absence and Mrs. Wells was relieved. His parents insisted the doctor stay for tea and went off to the sitting room. Helena came in to see her brother. She was especially interested in Charles' disappearance and wondered if there wasn't a scientific component involved. "You can recall nothing of the last twenty four hours?" Helena asked with great interest.

"None," Charles said.

What he didn't tell anyone was that when he opened his eyes and found himself in the living room, he had no sense that any time had passed. It wasn't until his mother was screaming that he realized something had happened. Only then did he put his hand in his pocket and find the contents; rose petals and a note. Both things started him pushing to remember something.

Helena's questions only subsided when she heard the butler announce that the detective that Charles had hired to find the man responsible for his broken engagement had arrived. Helena attempted to excuse herself but Charles insisted that she stay. In fact, he beat her to the door and closed it and instructed her to sit. Helena felt she had no business hearing about Charles' personal affairs. Charles went outside for a moment then returned with the older man to the room.

"Detective Samuels, I believe you know my sister, Helena?" Charles said. The man bowed his head and Helena smiled.

"Well as I was saying sir, we've gotten a new lead, Mr. Wells and I promise you we will not give up until the scoundrel is found," the hired investigator said.

"Good! Remember, I will spare no expense to find him," Charles said and noticed how uncomfortable his sister seemed to be. "I am going to have him drawn and quartered when we find him," he added and watched Helena swallow hard.

"We're very close, I can feel it," the older man said and Charles watched as Helena draw deep breaths as if she was having trouble breathing.

"Now remember, Inspector Samuels, I want to make an example of this rogue. Breaking up an engagement is a serious offense and the perpetrator must be taught a lesson. Maybe you could arrange for a public flogging?" Charles asked and the man said he was more than happy to arrange it. He bade them good day and left.

"Are you okay, Helena? You look pale," Charles asked noting the change in his sister's demeanor.

"I think you are perhaps taking this a bit far, Charles. I mean, yes of course Miss Wellington's unfaithfulness is egregious, Charles but…," Helena said getting up slowly from the chair. She seemed oddly nervous.

"Helena, I am sparing you the details of what I intend to do to him when he is found, out of respect to your _delicate_ nature," Charles said and knew his sister was distracted because that phrase usually got a rise out of her.

"I think _drawn and quartered_ covers it, Charles," HG said looking around uncomfortably. "I really must go now," his sister said and left the room.

* * *

Charles couldn't explain the weird sensation he was having. The rose petals, the note in his pocket from a man named Pete, the sense that he was somewhere for the past few hours but couldn't say exactly where. It was as if his senses were heightened and he started to see that his sister knew more than she was letting on about his ex-fiancé's tryst. Charles had put the investigator up to saying all of that. The truth was, all leads went nowhere and he was going to call the investigation off. Something made him think that whatever happened was right under his nose…. and Helena knew something about it. He took the note out of his pocket and read it with great curiosity.

Then he sat back in the chair with a sudden urge to read….. _Hamlet._

* * *

That evening, Charles sat with his parents at the dinner table as they waited for the youngest member to join them. There was the usual sound of Helena rushing up the stairs from the basement where she had lost all track of time. Being late to supper in the Wells' household was a huge _no no_ and so the young woman rushed upstairs to get freshened up.

The was a loud noise that sounded like a bucket of water falling and then the screams of a woman taken by complete surprise as she was suddenly engulfed in that cold water. The maids ran to clean up the mess and wondered how someone managed to attach the bucket to Helena's door so that upon entry it tipped over, spilling its contents all over her.

Helena stood in the dining room doorway, soaked. "Mother!" she yelled because she wanted Charles punished immediately if not sooner.

"Oh Charles, you take this teasing too far," was all his mother said.

Charles laughed at the sight of his drenched sister and professed his innocence even though they all knew he did it. Mrs. Wells took her daughter back upstairs to change all the time answering her protests of - "But Mother…," with "Yes, Helena I know, I know."

"What is that?" Mr. Wells asked when he noticed his son reading something.

"Oh just something from a friend I think," Charles said and put the paper with the instructions on how to do the trick back in his pocket.

Charles had pulled off the prank just as Pete instructed …. the timing was perfect. Even if he was a hundred and eighteen years too soon.

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who read along, posted comments/suggestions. I do appreciate them and as always,  
try to incorporate what you suggest to make this more enjoyable. Since it was a 'light' story line, I appreciate  
your tolerance with the liberties I took - the years I used, the other story plots I ignored (Christina) etc.  
As always - I appreciate all of your comments.  
**


	11. Epilogue

Just to tie up the loose end ...

* * *

**Epilogue**

**"Crime and bad lives are the measure of a State's failure, all crime in the end is the crime of the community." HG Wells**

Things were back to normal at the Warehouse or as close as they could get to normal. The agents joined Helena as she made her court appearance for her suspended license hearing. Mrs. Frederic had seen to it that the Warehouse lawyer was in attendance to handle the matter of Charles' disorderly conduct.

"Your honor, on the docket today is Agent Helena Wells, who has completed her defensive driving course online and has presented her certificate of completion and is ready to pay all fines and court fees," the prosecutor said.

The judge looked over the points and citations. "Take it easy out there, please Agent Wells. You're supposed to protect the general public, not use them as hood ornaments," the Judge said and reinstated her license.

Then he picked up the next case. "And I assume this is a relative of yours?" he asked Helena.

Helena had been instructed by Mrs. Frederic herself not to say a word and to allow Mr. Ryan, the official Warehouse lawyer, to explain everything.

"And where is Mr. Wells?" the judge asked because there were very few people in Univille's court this morning.

"You Honor, Mike Ryan for the defendant. We ask the court's indulgence, your Honor, as Charles Wells has been _deported_ by the State Department," the lawyer said and produced documents.

"Doesn't he mean _transported_?" Pete said with his hand over his mouth.

"Terror risk?" the Judge asked.

"Only to his sister," Pete answered but only to Myka.

He still found it curious that Charles never did pull that prank on his sister. _He missed a great opportunity_, Pete thought. Helena would have disagreed.

"No your honor, Mr. Wells was here without the proper documents, " the lawyer explained.

The only person who thought this was odd was the Sergeant who had witnessed the siblings fighting in his cell. He had warned Helena that if anything happened to Charles, she would be the first person he suspected. Now the man had _disappeared_? He was going to make sure to keep an eye on her.


End file.
